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Networking is essential for your building your personal brand. Research shows networking is a key component in salary growth, job satisfaction, building a startup or finding your next job. You never know where you may meet the next investor in your company, a future employee, your next boss, or the super-connector that will introduce you to these people. Here’s why networking will help in building your personal brand.

More Opportunities
There is a common myth that you only need to network when looking for a new job or promoting a new company. False! Networking can open up a number of opportunities for introductions, future job offers, partnerships, speaking opportunities, client leads, and more. Creating strong connections and leaving a positive impression will open doors today, and years from now.

Advice
Meeting new people means hearing different perspectives on industry trends, your business or campaign idea, and your personal brand. Many professional events are also centered around short presentations or discussions which can help spark ideas and generate feedback on your brand or current project.

Assistance and Influence
Networking opens up the great opportunity of getting and giving assistance. In How to Be a Power Connector, Judy Robinett suggests three questions for networking: How can I help you? What ideas do you have for me? and Who else do you know that I should talk to? Offering assistance where needed, and also asking for help, will strengthen your connections and open up more possibilities of working with people in the future. When it comes to sharing news that your business has launched or just something as simple as promoting a blog post, having a large network will help spread the word and drive awareness.

Networking and building your personal brand goes hand in hand. If you’re new to, or nervous about, networking, check out our next post on the best tips to get the most out of networking at events!

Entrepreneurs juggle dozens of tasks on any given week with constantly fluctuating schedules. With already busy schedules, being as productive as possible When your to-dos pile up, productivity can plummet. , leaving you with less free time to use networking and working on your personal brand. Getting more accomplished during the day will reduce stress and allow for creative time to brainstorm and rejuvenate. se these five tips to ease work stress and boost productivity.

Plan tomorrow, tonight. Get a jumpstart on your day by planning the night before. Knowing what tasks you need to accomplish at the start of every day will help make your mornings more productive and less stressful. Be aware of your deadlines so you can prioritize and be flexible for other tasks that come up.

Break up your responsibilities into milestones. Whether it’s building a product, finishing a report or launching a website, don’t list your end goal as one big task. Break it up into smaller assignments that are you can accomplish within and hour or two. You’ll have more motivation and feel more accomplished at the end of the day.

Schedule time to check your email. Constantly checking your inbox and responding to emails can interfere with productivity and take up hours of your day. Pick a few times throughout the day to check your email so your attention is solely on the assignment at hand.

Stop mutitasking. Like checking your email every five minutes, multitasking can cause distractions and even lower your IQ. Giving yourself 60 to 90 minute intervals on one task will help limit the amount of multitasking and get your tasks done faster.

Take a break. Our brains are only able to focus for 90 minutes, on average, and need a 20 minute break afterwards. Completing a task followed by a short break will boost your productivity. Take a walk, grab a power snack or take a few tomeditate or nap.

Whether you’re in a full-time position or leading a startup, developing and maintaining a personal brand can go a long way. A distinctive brand can create new business and career opportunities, expand your professional network and build thought leadership. Here are a few ways to create a personal brand that stands out.

Create a personal style. A unique logo can go a long way in building an impressive brand. Just like a company brand, a logo or design can express your individual style, values and personality. When creating content and connecting with your followers, be yourself.

Share meaningful content. Creating your own content will establish thought leadership and is valuable for SEO. To compliment your own content, share content (blog posts, tweets, Facebook posts) from colleagues, friends, industry leaders and people you admire or would like to add to your network. Social media is an easy way to get noticed.

Unify your digital presence. Social networks are a necessity for your personal brand: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, a personal website. Having a unified presence across all of these networks is important for reaching your network no matter where they are. You should have a similar look to each profile and use the same username when possible. For example, your Twitter and Instagram handles should be the same so your followers can find you and your profiles are linked when sharing between networks.

Take it offline. Social media can be a great way to build your personal brand but your real life connections will take you even further. Networking at events and getting to know your colleagues will build your network and your knowledge of your industry, not to mention open up a number of opportunities. Personalized business cardsthat link to your online profiles add a great touch to unify your physical and digital presence.

For new grads and executives alike, a distinctive personal brand will build your network and create opportunities, online and offline.

At Tacitfy we make mobile marketing simple. Connecting traditional marketing materials like posters and flyers with mobile can create highly engaging campaigns and drive results for brands. By allowing users to interact with mobile apps or webpages, your brand can provide more information and relevant content. Having well-designed physical materials, apps and websites with content that is engaging and relevant to your users are key factors to a successful mobile marketing campaign.

We worked with Capital Training Institute (CTI) to build a mobile marketing campaign for the South Sydney Rabbitoh’s members weekend campaign. CTI is a Registered Training Organization (RTO) and the official membership partner of the South Sydney Rabbitohs national rugby team. Their goals were to increase brand recognition, direct users to enter the Grand Final VIP ticket competition and encourage user generated content on social media with the hashtag #trainlikesamin reference to the Rabbitoh’s team captain.

To engage fans and drive them to the Grand Final ticket draw, we created custom Sharetapes that were handed out during Australia’s popular “The Footy Show” and printed Sam Burgess face masks equipped with QR codes to be distributed on game day. The QR codes (and banner advertisements) drove users to a special microsite where fans could enter the competition, stream a customer Spotify playlist and view more information on CTI.

The microsite received over 1,000 unique visitors and hundreds of entries for the Grand Final ticket draw. The hashtag #trainlikesam trended at number five on Twitter and was tagged on more than 430 posts on Instagram. By combining traditional marketing materials with mobile we were able to drive more user engagement and brand recognition for CTI and the South Sydney Robbitohs.

As consumer behaviors shift so must marketing strategies. Mobile is no longer the second screen, so why is mobile still at the bottom of business’s marketing plans? Salesforce’ State of Marketing report revealed that 90 percent of marketers agree that it’s increasingly important to “create a cohesive customer journey.” What is the most effective technology to enable a complete journey? Mobile.

There are a number of ways to implement mobile marketing into your strategy. At the very basic, all websites should be mobile responsive. A poorly designed mobile website will disrupt your customer’s journey by providing a poor user experience. For example, if a customer wants to make a purchase on their smartphone, being unable to do so because of a poor design or experience could result in not only a lost sale but a lost customer if your competitors have already optimized for mobile.

What can you do integrate mobile into your marketing strategy? Almost half of surveyed marketers use SMS, push notifications, mobile apps or location-based functionality — up from 23 percent last year. Mobile apps are one of the most expensive option but can be great for news sites and web services. For e-commerce businesses, mobile ads might be a simpler option to drive users to their website. Retailers have many innovative opportunities to integrate not only mobile ads and apps into their website but location-based technologies like iBeacons, push notifications and geofencing. Right now, only 18 percent of surveyed marketers are using these technologies.

As marketers continue to understand the power of mobile tactics, they should no longer be part of a separate strategy but an integral part of overall marketing plans.

From lyrics that perfectly describe a feeling to a song that brings you back to a moment in time, mixtapes are one of the most classic and unique gifts to share with friends, family or a significant other. But who has cassette or CD players anymore?

At Tactify, we created Sharetapes–a throwback to the classic mixtape but upgraded for the digital age. Here’s how they works:

Upload digital media, like a Spotify or YouTube playlist, to a blank Sharetape online.

Share the physical card with a friend or significant other.

They can simply tap the Sharetape using an NFC-enabled phone (like these), scan the QR code, or enter the code from the back of the Sharetape online.

The media will automatically start playing!

Sharetapes are the perfect way to celebrate Valentine’s Day. Share a collection of love songs, romantic movie clips or original songs with your significant other, or celebrate the single life with a weekend playlist for your friends!

Sharetapes are available for $2.49 each, or a pack of five for $9.99. Order soon to make sure you have them in time for Valentine’s Day!

The Internet of Things has exploded over the last couple of years as smartphones and the ability to be always connected has become an increasingly integral part of our lives. Bonnie Cha at re/code describes the Internet of Things as “the connection of everyday objects to the Internet and to one another, with the goal being to provide users with smarter, more efficient experiences.” You can see her “Beginner’s Guide to Understanding the Internet of Things” here.

Google’s acquisition of Nest last year set the stage for IoT to expand this year and the conversation about IoT’s impact on everyday life was discussed widely at CES. Consumers are increasingly aware of connected homes and cars. A study by Affinnova showed that consumers mostly want connected home appliances and products like refrigerators that enable remote viewing of your contents and recommends recipes, smart light bulbs that notify you when a bulb has gone out and connected sprinkler systems.

But how is the Internet of Things impacting retail? First, connected home sensors that send notifications to your phone to indicate when you out of a product like washing detergent, milk, or light bulbs are great for retailers. Creating a easy way for consumers to order these products right from their phone means that retailers have the opportunity to improve customer experiences and loyalty.

Next, connected technologies like beacons and NFC will likely increase in 2015. These technologies enable retailers to communicate with consumers in a meaningful way based on their location, delivering deals and notifications that are relevant in real time. The iPhone 6 and ApplePay will also influence retailers to adopt NFC technologies for easy checkout experiences.

The most important thing for retailers to take advantage with the Internet of Things right now is data. Whether connecting your products to home sensors or using in-store location technologies, analyzing data will enable retailers to better understand their customers. When are they shopping? Are they accessing your app while in store or at home? Do they prefer app notifications, or SMS? The more brands and retailers understand their customers, the more they will be able to connect with them at the right time, place and in the right manner.

Geofencing is a great tool for brands interested in location based marketing. Brands can push notifications, reminders, coupons and a number of other messages to consumers within a defined area. Geofencing creates a virtual fence around a specific area where companies can communicate to mobile devices within that perimeter. Brands have experienced up to 70 percent higher click-through rates when using geofencing campaigns compared to standard ads. Why? One reason is that content is being delivered to consumers when and where they need it.

When setting up a geofencing campaign, there are a few things to keep in mind in order to achieve the best results.

Get your content down first. When using geofencing, you’re sending notifications to consumers. Getting your content down first is the foundation to any successful campaign. Know what you are trying to achieve, for example, if you want consumers to make a purchase, sign up for something, or share content with their friends. Give them a call to action, and make sure the content is enticing and relevant.

Double check the location. Geofencing perimeters can cover a wide area. That’s why they’re great for outdoor events and venues. For the best results, ensure that they are accurately placed in order to reach the right customers. You don’t want consumers outside a baseball stadium to receive a deal exclusive to fans watching the game inside.

Size matters. Setting your perimeters too big or too small will affect the success of your campaigns. If the area is too big, the content you deliver might not be relevant enough. If the area is too small, however, you might not reach enough people to achieve the results you want.

Test and retest. It’s important to test that the technology is working properly (people are receiving notifications) but it’s equally important to test different messaging (people are seeing the right notificaitons. With the Tactify dashboard, you can use A/B testing to try different notifications, analyze which messages are being responded to the most, and adjust your marketing to achieve the best results.

Analyze the data. Last, take a look at the data at the end of the campaign. Who responded the most? What demographics did your messaging resonate with? What locations saw the highest traffic? Not only will this data help design your next geofencing or location based marketing campaign, it will give insight into your audience in general. Maybe you’ll discover a new customer base you never considered before!

More and more brands are recognizing the value in adopting mobile marketing and location-based technologies to reach consumers. For brands new to these tools, it’s important to understand the different options available and the best scenarios to use NFCversus beacons. Choosing the right technology for your campaign and brand is critical in reaching your consumers in the most meaningful way, and achieving desirable results.

Cary Stemle has one of the easiest breakdowns of different location technologies:

“Think of it this way: Cellular communications provide wireless coverage with a footprint measured in miles; WiFi’s footprint is measured in yards; BLE’s is measured in feet; and NFC’s in centimeters.”

Let’s talk about beacons first. Beacons work on Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) which communicates a signal between a bluetooth-enabled device and the beacon’s transmitter. If you want to reach consumers in a wide, general vicinity, beacons are the way to go. You can push coupons, store promotions and messages at very inexpensive prices. Using the Tactify platform, you can easily update your messaging and branding, and measure engagement and conversions. Beacons are great for high traffic areas, entertainment venues and events.

NFC, on the other hand, is a more personalized experience. NFC tags communicate with mobile phones only when the phone is in extremely close proximity – usually a few centimeters – which gives consumers more control over when they get notifications (and who can see their data) . NFC is best for payments and specific tickets and access cards. For example, you could place an NFC tag on an event poster. Interested consumers would be able to tap the tag with their phones and access more information. With beacons, every bluetooth-enabled phone that passed by would receive a message about the event, which may be overwhelming. Another use case is handing out NFC-enabled rewards or business cards.

There are a number of creative ways brands are using both beacons and NFC to market to their customers – and reach them right on their phones! Check out Tactify’s solutions here – load, update and track your campaigns from one central dashboard.

We have seen some amazing breakthroughs and innovations in the mobile space during 2014. Brands have embraced the power of beacons in campaigns, ads have become more relevant, and ApplePay could potentially revolutionize mobile payments. Businesses are beginning to understand how mobile marketing and tactics can increase sales and build a better relationship with their customers. So what can we expect to see in 2015?

Mobile payments

ApplePay could make mobile payments mainstream. Brands and apps, especially those that are retail-focused, can now make the user experience even more seamless. Eighty-six percent of shoppers use their smartphone to compare prices and browse sales. Connecting these with the ability to make a purchase without entering credit card information, or by just using their phone in store, will make an easier and faster shopping experience, in store and online.

More Location Based Marketing

Major retailers like Lord & Taylor and Walgreen’s have rolled out major pilot programs to test the effectiveness of using iBeacons for in-store marketing. In 2015, expect to see more brands using iBeacons, geofencing and push notifications to engage with customers and create innovative campaigns. About half of consumers say they are open to sharing their location and information in order to join a rewards program.

Better Content & UX

With the ability to use location and big data to better understand users and customers, expect to see better content and more intelligent UX. Advertisers, marketers and publishers recognize the effectiveness of delivering more relevant content using these tools, and are using new methods to understand how to connect better. Expect apps, ads and content to become more engaging and relevant.

Whether you are designing an app, a social campaign or a mobile website, great design makes a big difference in downloads and engagement. With great UX and UI, users will go where you want them to, stay within an app or on a website longer, and visit the app or website more frequently. You could have great content and deals but if your users and customers can’t find it, you won’t see the results you want. Stick to these three principles when developing a seamless user experience. (more…)

With Black Friday only a week away the holiday shopping madness will soon commence. Shopping this holiday season is projected to reach $72.4 billion! That’s $10 billion more than last year’s spending. For brands prepping their marketing and advertising, mobile and digital continue to play a huge role in influencing shopping and purchasing decisions. Check out these stats from Yahoo:

Half of holiday sales will be influenced by digital interactions

84 percent of shoppers use digital tools before or while shopping, and convert at a 40 percent higher rate

Mobile is no longer the second screen; it’s the first. Consumers around the world are using their smartphones for everything from making payments to browsing the internet and brands are hopping on board to ensure mobile experiences are exceptional. Location based technologies and big data are helping apps and businesses deliver consumers user experiences that deliver content users want based on their location and preferences.

Mobile has come far in the last year with beacons and mobile payments getting a big boost. But those numbers are expected to grow even more in the next year. Here are nine stats to prove it!

By the end of 2014, 6.9 billion people will have cell phone plans. That’s about 95 percent of the world’s population.

We are excited to announce we will be participating at The Web Summit annual PITCH Competition in Dublin! On November 4 – 6, 2014, we’ll be joining 200 other startups for a three round competition. We can’t wait to share what we’ve been up to at Tactify and how we’re bringing the internet of marketing to everyone.

Due to the expansion of the Internet of Things, the mobile advertising marketing is exploding and increasing exponentially year by year. We created Tactify so businesses, small and large, can easily use the newest mobile technologies in their campaigns, such as beacons, NFC, QR codes and geofencing. In two minutes, you can create fully responsive mobile and in-app content for events, info points, price promotions, product information and contact profiles. Update and measure all from our centralized dashboard without a line of coding involved!

If you’ll be at The Summit, be sure to stop by our booth and hear our pitch on stage. We’ll be at booth HIP312 in The Village on November 5th and ETP107 in Simmonscourt on November 6th.

You can also help us get to the semi-finals by tweeting @Tactify with #pitchvote between 9am – 5pm on November 4th and 5th (only tweets from Dublin count). The two startups with the most votes will get a spot in the semi-finals.

Starting today iPhone 6 and 6 Plus users can opt to store their credit and debit cards in Passbook and make purchases with the simple tap of their phone using Apple Pay. Apple finally adopted near field communications technology with the release of the iPhone 6 in order to power Apple Pay. With Apple leading the way, experts are predicting mobile payments will become mainstream. While Google Wallet has been around since 2011, the hype of Apple Pay may lead to an increase in mobile payments among Android users, too. Forrester predicts they will increase fourfold to $90 billion by 2017!

How to Set it Up

Download iOS 8.1 and open the Passbook app

Tap Set up Apple Pay

First select your card that is linked with your iTunes account and confirm

Then, you can scan new cards with the iPhone camera.The first card added will be your primary card.

How It Works
Once Apple Pay is set up, it’s easy to use in stores. At stores using Apple Pay, iPhone users can simply tap their phone to the point of sale (POS) terminal and verify the payment with Touch ID or a pin code. The transaction will securely be sent to the bank and with approval, the purchase is complete.

Apple has said over 220,000 US stores will be using Apple Pay including Apple, Bloomingdales, Macy’s Duane Reade, McDonald’s, Sephora, Petco, Panera Bread, Staples, Nike, Walgreens, Subway and Whole Foods. Users will also be able to pay with Apple Pay with a number of apps including Target, Tickets.com and Uber.

What Marketers Need to Know
The largest impact Apple Pay is expected to have is on the adoption of mobile payments. According to Digital Trends, a new law will take place in the fall of 2015 requiring merchants to support credit cards with Chip and PIN security, and therefore, merchants are expected to updated their POS terminals which will likely be Apple Pay enabled. The easy and secure process Apple has created, as well as their track record in changing consumer behavior, are other reasons to believe mobile payments will become mainstream.

Apple said they are not collecting or storing transaction information in order to ensure consumer’s that Apple Pay is secure and private. While this will help with the adoption of mobile payments, businesses will not be able to collect this data to optimize marketing campaigns. Instead, ensure consumers their information is secure and test other mobile marketing tactics such as NFC stickers, beacons or geofencing.

The ability to use mobile in marketing campaigns brings heaps of opportunities to increase retail sales. At Tactify, we believe that independent stores should be able to have campaigns that are as innovative and impactful as multinational stores. No matter the size of your store or staff, there are a number of ways to increase sales and expand your brand.

First off, there are huge benefits to incorporating mobile into your marketing campaigns. Almost two-thirds of Americans own a smartphone – and 55 percent of consumers who use coupons on their smartphone end up spending more money in store or online than they originally anticipated. A new study showed that mobile plays an integral part in the shopping experience of millennial moms– with a third saying mobile played a part in the inspiration and research part of shopping, and half saying they turned to their phones in-store to communicate with friends and family about their purchasing decisions.

So how can you increase your retails sales with mobile? Here are a few options:

Send push notifications using geofencingor beacon technologies to communicate with your customers based on their location.

Use NFC stickers or QR codes around the store offering coupons and reward points.

Reward customers who check in on social media and/or share their purchases with friends. Use NFC, QR and push notifications to make this even easier.

For iPhone users, integrate coupons and rewards cards with Passbook. Customers can easily save and access these on their phones (without a separate app) and eventually this will link to ApplePay.

Integrate your social media with coupons and rewards to redeem in-store or online.

Stay on top of the latest technologies like ApplePay to give customers the easiest and fastest check-out experience.

With any marketing campaign, make sure to use analytics to constantly evaluate and optimize your campaigns. Test which tactics get the most engagement with your customers and result in the highest ROI.

Location based services, specifically beacons, have raised some privacy concerns recently. Due to recent hacking and tracking controversies, sharing their location doesn’t appeal to all consumers — though most are willing to share their location in return for discounts, coupons or other rewards. When it comes to using beacons for marketing campaigns, there are a few key points for consumers and marketers to understand in order to calm any privacy concerns.

First, beacons work only when a user has installed something – either an app or a Passbook pass. If neither of these are installed, beacons will not communicate with your phone.

Beacons are taking mobile to a new level. They are helping add location and context to mobile communications and therefore, delivering more relevant information to consumers. What does this mean? More useful information, higher brand awareness and more innovative campaigns. These are some of the coolest beacon campaigns we have seen and worked on.

Hillshire Brands showed everyone how to increase sausage sales. Consumers who had the Epicurious or Key Ring apps received branded notifications from Hillshire when they were in supermarkets that work with the apps. There were also banner ads for the sausages within the app. The results? Purchase intent increased 20 percent and brand awareness increased 36 percent.

The Melbourne Writer’s Festival worked with us to put together a choose-your-own-adventure storytelling app using beacons and it was one of our favorite campaigns to date. Consumers could walk through the city listening to original short stories that referenced places and landmarks, and literally choose different endings based on the direction they walked. Check out the video here.

Marketers and advertisers have been using NFC quietly for the last few years. There have been some fun, innovative campaignsbut the use of NFC has really been limited to certain Android phones as well as payments and keyless entry. But that’s all about to change.

Applehas held out on enabling NFC in the iPhone due to lack of merchant interest and low-security, opting instead for Passbook. But due to the success of iBeacons and Apple’s access to 800 million credit cards from users’ iTunes accounts, reports have labelled NFC as inevitable for the iPhone.

Enabling NFC on the iPhone is more than just mass adoption of mobile payments. There are a ton of possibilities already being used that both consumers, marketers and technologists can make even more wide spread — quicker check-in at hotels using your mobile phone as a room key; controlling settings at home and work like lights, alarms and sounds; easily changing your phone settings based on location such as switching Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or music on and off; or even transferring files between two phones.

In order to fully take advantage of the possibilities with NFC, marketers and advertisers should fully understand their capabilities and how to use them. We’ll be at NFC Bootcamp in New York on September 18-19 presenting iBeacons and NFCs: Friends or Foes. Tactify co-founder Richard Dupe will discuss how to create campaigns using NFC and beacons as well as QR and geofences! Check out the NFC Bootcamp and register here. Use code “Tactify” for 20 percent off !

Have you ever wished you could choose the outcome of your favorite story? We’re excited to announce Twists and Turns, the first-ever choose your own adventure storytelling app, is now available for the Melbourne Writer’s Festival! Created for advertising agency, JWT, Twists & Turns uses beacons located throughout the city to determine a variety of storylines told within the app based on which street a user walks down.

There are three fictional stories that reference key locations throughout Melbourne, each with four different versions. Using a network of beacons placed throughout the city, the app maps physical locations to specific chapters of the stories. Depending on which street a user walks down, different storylines are triggered. You can see the stories come to life and determine which direction you want the story to go as you “twist and turn” throughout the city. (more…)

Has 2014 been the ‘year of mobile’? There has definitely been significant growth in mobile usage, app growth and technologies like beacons and geofences — but don’t expect to see any of these slow down in the next few years. At the beginning of 2014, 9 in 10 Americans owned a mobile phone, 60 percent owned a smartphone and mobile usage surpassed the PC. According to Nielsen, the average U.S. consumer spends 34 hours every month on mobile devices and owns four “smart” devices (smartphone, tablet, HDTV, PC, gaming console). We are connected 24/7.

With the plethora of data being produced and gathered across all these connected devices, businesses are just beginning to process the endless possibilities for creating more relevant content, products and information for mobile users. Smartphones are used for everything from shopping, messaging, booking travel, checking-in and consuming news and content. And whatever is not done on a smartphone is likely done on another connected device. The phase of making things “mobile” is over. The next phase? Understanding the data to create more relevant and personalized experiences.

Credit: Nielsen

1. Location and proximity targeting

With the growing popularity and usage of beacons, location is becoming a huge part of mobile strategies. Companies have been using geofencing for quite a few years to trigger certain actions on mobile. Beacons allow businesses to produce even more targeted content based on indoor locations. Getting ready to check into your flight? You might receive a notification telling you when to get your boarding pass and ID out.

2. Context and personalization

With accounts connected across a number of devices, businesses will be able to use data and technology to produce more personalized and context-aware content. Imagine walking into a retailer and receiving a message that the shirt you were saw online the night before is on sale and available in store. Smart devices and apps will be able to understand individual habits based on your device usage and data. Matched with location capabilities, consumers will be served not just relevant content but information relevant to that exact time.

3. Higher app engagement and more conversions

According to Flurry, smartphone owners are using app 86 percent of the time compared to mobile browsers. Most major retailers, airlines and brands have already released their own apps. Matching those with location-aware and personalized content will produce higher engagement and conversion rates. Providing coupons based on shopping lists, or events in an area based on travel plans will make apps more useful to consumers. For iPhone users, iOS 8 will suggest apps on the lock screen based on location. This will not only help consumers more easily open apps they need but will also increase awareness of apps and potentially increase downloads.

4. NFC takes hold

Near field communication (NFC) continues to grow in the market mostly due to payments. If Apple releases an NFC-compatible iPhone 6 this fall, there will likely be an increase in mobile payments and innovative uses for NFC in marketing campaigns, advertising, business cards, connected products and travel experiences.What other trends do you expect to take off in the next year?

NFC is not a new technology but it has been gaining traction in the market over the last few years due to NFC-enabled credit cards and mobile phones. There is speculation that Apple will finally adopt NFC in the iPhone 6 — at which point, NFC might reach widespread adoption among consumers. However, the NFC rumor mill hits every time a new iPhone is about to be released. Nonetheless, the number of NFC-enabled Android and Windows phones is growing, and with that, we have seen an increase in the ways brands and consumers are experimenting with the technology.

How does NFC work?

Getting down to basics, NFC, or near field communication, transmits data wirelessly between two objects equipped with NFC chips. The two objects have to be brought within close range, usually within four inches, in order to communicate and can transmit any information.

Is NFC just for payments?

No! Technically, you can use NFC as long as you have two NFC compatible objects. Brands have used NFC for ticketing at events or while traveling, opening car doors with NFC-enabled security badges and car keys, tracking healthcare information, and in marketing and advertising campaigns. It can be as simple as placed an NFC-enabled sticker within a retail area that links to coupons, rewards, ads or movie trailers, social media pages, mobile apps and more. NFC extends to personal use, too. Place an NFC sticker near your front door, wave or tap with it your phone and turn the air conditioning on. Trend Blog put together a great list of 18 creative ways to use NFC.

Will NFC keep growing?

Yes. The number of NFC compatible devices increased 128% from 2012 to 2013. IHS Technology predicts that two in three devices will be NFC compatible by 2018. Plus, VISA Europe saw their contactless payments increase four fold in 2013. While brands are starting to experiment with beacons, NFC still has its own specific use and purpose. It’s cheaper and works within a much more specific location than beacons.

What’s the security like?

NFC only works within a close range — usually four inches or less — and the signals are very specific. In order for a hacker to get a hold of your information, they would have to be extremely close to your phone or credit card. In addition, any data stored on your phone like credit card information is encrypted and usually has a number of added security features like pins and passwords. Get a full explanation of NFC security here.

Bottom line, NFC is here to stay but there are a multitude of other technologies disrupting the space. When it comes to designing a marketing or advertising campaign, make sure to consider your goals, budget and customers when deciding which one to use.

Brands are embracing proximity marketing as a way to engage with their audience and customers in unique, targeted, and personal ways. Thanks to mobile adoption and increased technologies, marketers are experimenting with all kinds of location-specific messaging — alerts and messages, coupons, local search, social media interactions and more.

For brands with physical locations to use, geofencing is one of the options for proximity marketing. Geofencing creates a virtual fence around a specific area where companies can enable communications to mobile devices within the perimeter. Geofencing works through an app or a network-based geofence. When deciding which way to go, it really comes down to your budget and long term goals — if you’re looking to increase app engagement and mobile sales, you might want to build or leverage an app. If your budget is smaller or you there are no long term benefits of having an app, just use network capabilities.

One important thing to mention is the difference between geofencing and iBeacons. Geofencing is optimized for larger and outdoor locations, between 50 and 50,000 meters while beacons have a maximum range of 30 meters and are better used indoors. Beacons require special hardware to be installed, Bluetooth must be enabled and work on iPhone 4s or newer, and iOS 7 or newer. Geofencing does not require special hardware or connection to access points (though WiFi will create higher accuracy). Geofencing will work on iOS 5 or newer, and iPhone 4 or newer.

Location based marketing — whether utilized through geofencing or beacons — brings huge opportunities to marketers to increase ROI, build customer loyalty and reduce expenses. Since the messaging is locally-targeted and contextual, you can engage in meaningful ways. If sales are slowing down at a specific time, send a coupon. If you’re having a special event, send a reminder. Encourage your customers to connect on social media. And most importantly, use data to analyze and adjust your marketing campaigns.

​We are happy to announce that Tactifyis partnering withThe Legacy Projectin Chicago to create a new digitally interactive experience for visitors. The Legacy Walk is an outdoor museum showcasing LGBT contributions to history and runs along North Halsted Street. Visitors will now be able to supplement their experience on the Legacy Walk by accessing their entire database on their mobile devices by tapping over an NFC chip or scanning a QR code.

Once implemented, the existing plaques will be supplemented with video, images and audio content, providing an even richer experience for visitors. Eventually, each plaque will be enabled with beacons, making it even easier to learn about the inspiring people who are celebrated throughout the Legacy Walk.

Full NFC and QR code implementation is expected in June 2015 – LGBT Pride Month – in advance of the dedication of Phase IV of the Legacy Walk next fall. Make sure tofollow Tactify and The Legacy Project on Twitter for continuous updates. You can learn more about visiting The Legacy Project here.

Context, not content, is the new king. The opportunities to add customization to marketing strategies are endless with the use of big data, social media and location tools. iBeacons present the perfect opportunity to use these tools to better engage with audiences and customers. Using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), iBeacons send notifications based on proximity to bluetooth-enabled smartphones. For retailers, event marketers and travel brands (amongst many others), implementing a context-heavy iBeacon strategy can result in higher sales, brand awareness and strong customer engagement. These are some of the first considerations to take when integrating iBeacons into a marketing strategy.

To App or Not to App?

In order for iBeacons to work, there has to be the actual beacon hardware, a bluetooth-enabled mobile device and something for the beacon to communicate with. Most brands choose to use their own native app to push iBeacon notifications because they are already built and have additional functionality such as mobile shopping, rewards programs, etc. Building these apps can be extremely time consuming and expensive, though. Perhaps you want to consider creating a pass that works with Passbook instead. This will still allow context-aware notifications based on location but save on time and money. Choosing the best option depends on budget and marketing goals.

2. Proximity and Context

The next step in developing an iBeacon strategy is choosing the proper communications to send. With iBeacons, you can send a variety of notifications based on a smartphone’s proximity to the hardware. For example; a welcome message can appear when walking through the door and a notification about a special sale can appear when the user approaches a specific product. Keep the customer in mind when developing these commuications — what are they interested in learning about? How many times do they want to receive notifications? Remember, context is key. Know your customer and use appropriate language. Don’t overwhelm them with too many notifications!

3. Integration

Once you have decided on an iBeacon strategy that works with your brand, integrate it into your overall marketing plan. Drive app downloads or pass installs on Passbook, and encourage people to the vicinity of the iBeacons, in social media and email communications. Make sure your customers have the ability to share their experience on their own social media channels and through email and text messages. Implement A/B testing and appropriate measurement systems to test and improve your communications.

Mobile advertising is growing five times faster than desktop internet marketing and the reasons are simple. Consumers spend the majority of their time looking at their phones and use their smartphones for everything from communicating to finding the next deal to research and games. No matter your business, mobile marketing is something to consider. If you’re ready to make the leap, these are some best practices to consider when developing your mobile marketing or advertising campaign.

Relevance

Mobile marketing is all about relevance. Define your audience and figure out what they want. For example, Millennials are constantly looking for the best deals and coupons.

Personal

Make your messaging personal — don’t just use a generic message. The power of mobile and big data is that you can identify locations and interests. Use this to your advantage.

Simplify

Mobile screens are small so keep your design simple and intuitive. The easier to launch and navigate your app, Passbook or website, the more likely consumers will use it and return.

Location

Forty percent of searches on mobile are local. With the power of NFC, iBeacons and geofencing, you can use location to send hypercontextual and personalized messages. With iBeacons, you can send two different notifications when a customer walks into a store and when they approach the sale rack.

Social

As if we had to say it — be social! Make it easy for consumers to both follow your brand on social media and share with their networks. Automate fun, personalized messages that will increase engagement with your brand.

Beacons — ever since Apple deployed them in their stores last fall businesses have been exploring and testing a number of ways to use them. Businesses are jumping on board because of the opportunity to reach consumers where they spend most of their time — on their phones. In fact, almost three quarters of Millennials said they would be interested in using their mobile to connect with brands’ loyalty programs. Beacons present the perfect opportunity.

Photo via VektorDigital

Retailers have started pilot programs, stadiums have them in place forbaseball season and some airlines are even using them to make travel easier. While beacons have gained some momentum, they are still new to the market and have some misconceptions. We clarified three of the most popular myths. If you have other questions about beacons, let us know below!

Myth #1: Beacons are exclusive to Apple devices.

More often than not, you’ll hear iBeacon instead of just beacon. Apple trademarked “iBeacon” to indicate their specific technology standard which all Apple devices withiOS 7 or later use. However, Android devices can receive communications from iBeacons, too. All beacons use Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology to locate devices and push hyper-contextual notifications. The main difference is that Android devices cannot transmit information to iBeacons.

Myth #2: You need an app for beacons to work.

Most businesses using beacons are pushing notifications through their apps — and this will probably be the norm for a while. Walgreens, American Eagle and Macy’s have all deployed beacon programs that communicate in-store with customers who have downloaded their apps. However, Passbook presents another opportunity for marketers and businesses to utilize beacon technology. Instead of downloading an app, consumers would be required to add a store-specific pass or loyalty card to Passbook. The use of Passbook with beacons is definitely a space to watch.

Myth #3: Beacons are tracking you and collecting data.

Privacy has been a concern in the adoption of beacons due to their location-specific technology. However, beacons simply recognize the Bluetooth in mobile devices to trigger specific notifications based on location. Depending on the range between a mobile device and the beacon, different notifications can be sent. The beacons themselves do not track customers, cannot identify who you are and do not collect data.

At Tactify, we take the complexity out of complex technologies to help businesses connect with their customers where they spend most of their time — on their phones. One of the technologies that has been booming lately is iBeacons. So of course, we were curious if Apple would announce updates at WWDC.

Turns on, the rumors were wrong. Apple held out on even mentioning iBeacons but within their iOS 8 announcement was a significant update when it comes to location services.

Photo via MacRumors

With the updated software, relevant apps appear on the lock screen based on your location. Walk into an Apple store, Starbucks or Vons and their apps appear in the bottom left of the lock screen. Apps for banks and train stations were also reported to appear. According to MacRumors, the feature works using both the App Store app and Location Services (which have to be turned on). Even if you don’t the app of a nearby establishment, it will appear in the lock screen and bring you to the App Store where you can download it.

Why is this update important? First off, it will be much easier and faster for consumers to launch apps for in-store purchases and coupons. For businesses with apps, it lets customers know that they have an app – and makes them easier to download. Furthermore, it gives businesses even more reasons to use iBeacons by addressing one of the biggest hurdles – the need for consumers to download a separate app. If businesses want to use iBeacons to offer discounts through their app, the process to download the app has been simplified to swipe and download. Plus, with the ability to now use Touch ID with third party apps makes it even simpler.

We’ll be sure to report on additional details to this feature in the upcoming weeks! Follow us on Twitter!

Today we are excited to introduce Tactify, a new way for businesses to create interactive mobile marketing solutions, through an easy to use online dashboard.

Our work began many months ago, but now to see the simplicity in which you can create and order items that connect to your digital world is a reward in itself.

The Internet of Things also known as IoT is changing the very way we interact with the physical world. The internet is a social environment, and at the heart of it all is people.

Business cards are an essential part of our business world. We used some technology magic to create some really effective business cards. Why not allow your first meeting to be social and memorable? Why can’t we have fun with our technology interactions, bring smiles to people’s faces, and ‘Get Physical with Digital’.

Along with NFC and QR technology we also offer solutions using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), where anyone from retail managers, advertising agencies or large enterprises can connect, design and build their very own interactive mobile and/or print campaigns. We were careful not to become too heavily focused on one particular technology which allows us to quickly adapt to our ever changing and connected world. It could be NFC, BLE, or the latest version of Wifi – no matter the technology, Tactify comes with a self-managed dashboard that automatically integrates with the latest technology to suit the needs of any business.

Our vision for Tactify is to allow businesses of all sizes to easily create digital content for contact details, events and promotions and connect with a variety of print media that is available to order.

The printed products include business cards, posters, Stickers and Social Tiles that can be ordered directly onsite and will be delivered connected to your digital and fully customized content. Your Tactify account allows you to update, monitor and manage your digital content in real time.

Looking Forward

We hope you enjoy Tactify when we announce its release in the following weeks and look forward to the many features we will be adding soon. We’ll continue to improve our core offerings, ‘Made to Connect’, ‘Made to Promote’ and ‘Built for Enterprise’. Working from anywhere and any device is also crucial, so expect to see a mobile version of Tactify too. And we promise to continue to experiment with features that keep your business connected and ahead of your competitors with ‘Tactify Labs’ where we work closely with the developer community to ensure we – and you – are remaining cutting edge in the industry.

We believe that businesses have only touched the tip of the iceberg in terms of mobile marketing. Every business knows they need a mobile strategy but aren’t so sure where to start. With Tactify we help you reach the critical last 3 feet where customers are won or lost. We feel businesses should have easy and self managed tools that can help them achieve this. Why not Tactify today!

You can sign up now to request access to our private beta—we plan to make it available to as many people as possible in the coming weeks. Thanks for checking us out, and we look forward to hearing from you soon. Make sure to subscribe to the blog for updates, you are definitely going to see some exciting times ahead!